Religion in The Merchant of Venice Essay

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Religion was a major factor in a number of Shakespeare’s plays. Religion motivated action and reasoning. In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” religion was more than a belief in a higher being; it reflected moral standards and ways of living. In the “Merchant of Venice,” “a Christian ethic of generosity, love, and risk-taking friendship is set in pointed contrast with a non-Christian ethic that is seen, from a Christian point of view, as grudging, resentful, and self-calculating.” (Bevington, pg. 74) Although Shakespeare writes this drama from a Christian point of view he illustrates religion by conflicts of the Old Testament and the New Testament in Venetian society and its court of law. These Testaments are tested through the…show more content…First, we see Antonio, a soft-hearted and morose Christian gentleman whose riches cannot provide him the fulfillment that others deem appropriate. He is sad because he lacks love. To fulfill that love, he assists Bassano in his own quest to pursue love. Though usually depicted as a homosexual relationship, it is a portrayal of love between friends or brothers, another type of bond. This act of bonding puts Antonio in gracious light. He helps his loved one by borrowing money from Shylock and pawns his life to strengthen that bond. This reinforced bondage reflects Antonio’s selflessness, God-like quality, and most importantly Christian morality.
Shylock on the other hand is not put on the same pedestal as Antonio. As the Jewish representation of Venice, Shylock, “as a usurer, refuses to lend money interest-free in the name of friendship.” (Bevington, pg. 76) This act of usury in the eyes of Christianity is considered sinful, immoral and inhumane. Instead of lending money interest-free he applies collateral and conditions to the bond. Also, Christians of the time looked at Jews with negativity. “It can be argued that this goes back to the earliest days of Christianity, when the tradition began of making the Jews bear the guilt of the Crucifixion. Throughout medieval and early Renaissance Europe the prejudice bred dark fantasies: Jews were accused, for

Religion is used as a rationale for violence, aggression, and mistreatment, because of how it can be a tool for dividing people and dehumanizing the outgroup. Religion gives these people the belief that their actions are mandated by God, which causes reasonable judgement to be clouded in favor of easy assumptions and hasty decisions. Some examples of people using their own religious views to wrongfully impose hardships on others are The Jews and Christians of Venice, and the Spanish in the New World

Imperfect Faith in The Merchant of Venice
Though William Shakespeare accurately portrays both Christianity and Judaism in his play The Merchant of Venice, the characters in the play do not represent their religions well. A reader unfamiliar with these religions could easily misinterpret flaws in a character's nature as the teachings of his religion. After a preliminary glance at the play, one would assume that Shakespeare wrote unjustly of the two religions depicted therein. However

Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Abigail of Marlowe's the Jew of Malta
Portia and Abigail are two characters with very different values. Portia in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice remained true to her religion, and her father’s wishes throughout the play. Abigail, on the other hand, changed religions and disobeyed her father. However, the writers used these two women to make similar statements about religion. Portia represented the quintessential Christian. Abigail

Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice anti-Christian or anti-Semitic? How important is religion in “The Merchant of Venice”? That depends on who you ask and is based on that person’s interpretation of the play. The Merchant of Venice is controversial between whether it is anti-Christian or anti-Semitic and with good reason. Religion has always been a source of controversy; in Shakespeare’s plays, they are no exception but especially so in the play The Merchant of Venice.
In ancient times, people

The Trial Scene in The Merchant of Venice
Written between 1596 and 1598 "The Merchant of Venice" is not one of
the most performed plays written by William Shakespeare. The play is
classed as one of the sixteen comedy plays and most productions often
use modern times and dress. It was performed in front of an audience
who were not very well educated but the issues being raised in the
play would have been understood. A modern day audience would be less
sympathetic than

December 2015
The Merchant of Venice: Comedy or Tragedy?
Intro:
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is a perplexing story of dark humor, race, religion, identity, love, and justice. Generally, most people understand The Merchant of Venice as a comedy about a bitter and outcasted Jewish moneylender named Shylock who seeks revenge against a Christian merchant who has failed to pay his loan back. However, there are many different perspectives on whether The Merchant of Venice is a comedy or

Warshawsky
Ms. Rembert
CGI English 11 HH
12 November 2014
Crashing Thru Venice
William Shakespeare, possibly the most esteemed writer of all time, wrote a play titled The Merchant of Venice, near the end of the 1500 's. The play takes place in Venice, and while it can be described as what we now call a "romantic comedy," it also draws attention to the harsh divides in the Venetian society brought on by conflicting beliefs and religions. Centuries later, in the early 2000 's, Paul Haggis wrote and directed

human relationships in their literary works: The Merchant of Venice and The Crucible respectively. They emphasize this thesis through examples of love, friendship, power and Christianity.
Even though love and friendship are regarded as two forms of relationships where no one seeks any pragmatical purpose, in fact they covertly embody different sorts of self-interest. The triangular relationship among Antonio, Bassanio and Portia in The Merchant of Venice and the friendship between Abigail Williams and

While the story hits upon the tragic element of despair, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, is a comedy because lovers are separated, characters are in disguise, and the story has a happy ending.
From the very beginning of The Merchant of Venice, we see the comedic element of lovers being separated time and time again. First, Jessica and Lorenzo are not permitted to marry or see each other because of their different religions and her father’s fervent hatred for Christians. “Lorenzo certain

Anti-Semitism and racism in The Merchant Of Venice.
Anti-Semitism and the desecration of the Jewish population have been in existence for nearly five thousand years. In William Shakespeare's “The Merchant of Venice”, we find that one of the characters is the subject and expression of anti-Semitic attitude that is persistent in Elizabethan society.
William Shakespeare's “The Merchant of Venice” contains many examples that insult Jewish heritage because they were the minority in London in Shakespearean